The primary role of the Chair and Vice Chair of Faculty Council is to facilitate collegial discussions at LA&PS Faculty Council meetings. Accountability and transparency in governance are among our top priorities this year. We also strive to create an inclusive forum for, respectfully, voicing our concerns to the Dean’s office and beyond. We believe that our members need to be consulted before important academic decisions are made, from the initial stages of planning to the implementations of new policies. Within our purview are all matters related to academic initiatives that can help our faculty and our students thrive.
Although we don’t oversee budget allocations, we do need to be consulted before making financial decisions that impact our academic programing. Faculty Council is in fact at the forefront of collegial governance. Therefore, by paying attention to your concerns, together we will envision an LA&PS Faculty Council that values accountability, transparency and collegiality.
— Joint Message from Chair and Vice Chair
Chair for 2024-2025
Robert A. Kenedy
Robert A. Kenedy is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at York University. He has been studying ethnic identity and Diasporas in Canada since 1989, with much of his research focusing on collective identity, ethnic communities, Canadian Diasporas, antisemitism, multiculturalism, civic participation, immigration, and resettlement. Most recently, he has been researching Lusophone-Canadian and Latin Canadian re-settlement, mentoring, tutoring, and community education. He has also completed research on antisemitism and the French Jewish Diaspora in Canada, as well as Canadian campus safety and antisemitism. His work includes editing books, guest editing various journal issues, and he is in the process of completing two books on the Working Women Community Centre and their outstanding accomplishments and service to various communities in Toronto.
Professor Kenedy has won four teaching awards, a Liberal Arts & Professional Studies award for his service to students, McLaughlin College, and the Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medal for service to the nation. His pedagogical scholarship examines cocurricular and curricular peer education, mentorship, and leadership, focusing on academic and social contributions to the post-secondary transition. Dr. Kenedy’s research highlights integrating peer educators and leaders into courses and studying their impact on student learning. He specifically examines best practices for incorporating peer educators inside and outside the classroom as well as evaluating the pedagogical benefits for students in terms of critical thinking, writing, and other academic skills. He has written articles on peer education, integrating critical thinking skills into courses, and the importance of supporting student learning through teaching partnerships. Dr. Kenedy has also been the guest editor of a special themed issue on peer education in the Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition as well as a recent article on the connection between critical thinking and AI.
Vice Chair for 2024-2025
Mehraneh Ebrahimi
It is my honor to act as the vice chair of Faculty Council this academic year. I strive to create a safe, democratic space at our council, so colleagues feel seen, heard, and supported.
I have been actively committed to collegial governance at York since I joined this institute. I have years of experience on the Senate Award Committee, which I chair this year. I also represent our faculty as a senator and have served on LA&PS Student Petitions Committee. This is in addition to the service I provide to my home department of English in various capacities and to several other departments I am affiliated with such as SPT, Humanities, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Women Studies.
As an academic, I am a scholar of Middle Eastern diasporic art and letters. My first book was published by Syracuse University and my second manuscript on refugee narratives is nearing completion.
Growing up between Italy, Iran, and Canada I am a diasporic scholar myself and familiar with several cultures and languages intimately.
I hope to bring my mental flexibility, curiosity, and creativity to serve the Faculty Council in my new role as the Vice Chair. Please reach out to me at mehr@yorku.ca.
Past Chairs
Chair for 2023-2024
Carl Ehrlich
University Professor
Department of History and Department of Humanities
ehrlich@yorku.ca
